


My Time of Exile

by karrenia_rune



Category: The Death Gate Cycle - Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
Genre: Character Study, Community: smallfandomfest, Gen, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-15 12:24:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7222225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karrenia_rune/pseuds/karrenia_rune





	My Time of Exile

Disclaimer: The Death Gate Cycle is a seven-volume series created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman  
and belongs to the original authors/creators etc. It is not mine. Written for Round 19 of the Small fandoms Fest.

"My Time of Exile" by Karrenia

'Once more unto the breach, dear friends.'

It's a good line, he considers even as he stood poised just on the threshold that shimmers with a deadly beauty all its own. It's a deceptive beauty, like a seductive siren call that mariners who have been too long at sea hear and heed to their doom. It's still beautiful for all of that Xar thinks, even as he mentally runs over the proper magical runes necessary for opening the Last Gate, the only way in and out of the Labyrinth.

A Sartan creation, a last-ditch attempt in the heat of a battle; the Labyrinth is a sentient magical prison where generations of his people had lived, loved, had loved ones often living in expansive tribal units, and died.

Xar had been among those lost generations; he no longer remembered what it had been like to have a family unit. He had also been the first to escape the trap and once that had been accomplished he vowed that he would do the same for all of his people.

When he had first begun his search and rescue campaign he had studied all the texts that their ancient enemies had left behind in the Nexus. The Nexus is beautiful, too, all rounded geometrics and angular planes and shimmering blue and white tiles. Why the Sartans created this place as the endpoint for any fortunate, smart and strong enough to make their way to the Last Gate and thus here to this place of refuge is anyone's guess. 

It's comfortable but he learned the hard way that one must always be vigilant and never allow oneself to be lulled into a false sense of complacency. That the Sartans did so is all the more reason to have his people take advantage of it and build it up as a new home for his people, and more importantly as a base of operations for their forthcoming war.

Xar shrugged. It only made sense to know one's enemy; he had always believed that only a fool would run the risk of underestimating an opponent. The Sartans for all their power and affectations to superiority over their closest rivals, the Patryns and to a much greater degree, the Menchs; were only human. 

 

The Patryns' numbers are growing now all of whom are loyal to him and their battle, and when he judges the time is ripe the Patryns will emerge to once more take up the fight against their ancient enemies the Sartan and take their rightful place.

To that end he has sent an emissary to all the Sundered Realms, "Ah, Haplo," my son, where are you now? You would have appreciated that opening speech, I think."

Xar sighs and tries not to think about Haplo, but it's difficult not to. He does believe that he favors Haplo above the countless other Patryn men and women who owe their lives to him. 

Many now come with him to stand before the Last Gate, some even plead to accompany their Lord on these rescue missions. some make it all the way to the barrier only to be overcome with remembered fear.

He does not blame them or chastise them, or make them ashamed of their fear. The horrors of the Labyrinth are legendary and not without cause. 

He too, once felt the same, and perhaps deep down he still does. A fragment of an old text comes to his mind, 'the longer one stare into the Abyss sooner or later the Abyss begins to stare back.' Where it came from Xar does not know nor care to know, it is, however, quite apt.

However, in the silence of his own mind, Xar stopped to wonder if perhaps that there might be something unique and undefinable about Haplo that reminds of himself at that age and which binds them together in ways that he has never thought possible.

**

Whatever the cause he cannot afford idle speculation right now and with a raised fist he takes leave of the those who have come with him and completes the opening spell and the Last Gate. 

Xar steps through to and emerges onto the constantly shifting and maddening landscape of the Labyrinth. 

Xar's defenses are already in place and he believes that he is ready for anything the magical prison can throw at him. What emerges from a copse of stunted and twisted trees are the insectiod creatures who attack with a frenzy than he has ever before seen exhibited by these creatures. 

If it gives him pause to wonder over this, Xar quickly dismisses it from his mind and concentrates on burning them to a crisp.

He defeats them but not without a considerable expenditure of his own magical power. Dispatching the corpses with magical fire that he summons.

He gives no thought to the corpses and casts around for other threats. Seeing none at the present time he begins to inspect the area from which the attack had come from.

Xar he discovers a half dozen more of his people being held captive in the crevice in the rocky hillside. 

Telling them who he is and what his purpose is, they follow him out and back to the Nexus leaving them in the capable hands of his people tasked with newly emerged rescued.

Once more back at the building he has chosen for his own, and settled behind his intricately carved desk, Xar thoughts returned to Haplo and how that young man had insisted on dragging his broken, bleeding body the last final yards to the Last Gate under his own power and not be beholden to anyone for assistance. 

That burning determined spark had been nothing more than a flickering ember which had made Xar think that here was a young man with a fiery, passionate spirit that I could take, mold and inflame to a blazing spark.'

"'I was not wrong, and thus I sent him out to advance our cause. Haplo, know that my thoughts are with you this night, and every night and day to come."

If Xar cared if anyone happened to be listening or cared what they thought if they had been; this last musing might have been taken for sentiment. 

Perhaps it was, perhaps not, in any case, things had been sent in motion; wheels within wheels, for anyone to stop at this late hour. "Once more unto the breach, indeed. I wish you well, Haplo, my son."


End file.
